So: I recently just filed my 2 weeks notice at my current job and I'm looking around for employment. Now, everybody thinks I'm crazy that I didn't interview while I was at my previous job so I'll most likely be unemployed for a bit while I'm looking.

To me, it just seems somewhat sleazy to interview elsewhere while you're employed. I know that if I was a boss and one of my employees did that, I'd be pissed.

I think you're lucky you don't work for Activision, or Bobby Kotick would have locked you up in a cell or something for having considered an interview.

Know however, that if the person interviewing you asked you whether you are currently employed, and you tell him that you are, you may not exactly fall into his best books and you could be #1 on the To-Sack List.

I guess if you're going to interview elsewhere after you've given a 2 weeks notice to your current employer, it probably doesn't matter either way. On the other hand, while this approach smacks of little more than employers poaching each other's work forces, you might as well look out for yourself. Afterall, when employers decide that it's time for you to leave the company, they rarely if ever give you notice. I once left a job w/o giving 2 weeks notice and when the girl in HR asked me if I wanted to reconsider giving 2 week notice, I asked her if she could think of a company that ever gave two weeks notice before terminating an employee. It clearly caught her short and she admitted she couldn't. Sometimes you've gotta do what you've gotta do.

Now, I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor, dumb bastard die for his country.---Patton

There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism.---Teddy Roosevelt

I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception.---Groucho

And if you all get killed, I'll piss on your graves.---Shaman Urdnot

How would you like to own a little bit of my foot in your ass.---Red Foreman

Most people generally do interview while they're working at other places. Personally if it had been me, I would have applied at several places and when I got called for an interview give my two weeks. That way you're not like... "oh well, i'm still working for this other person and I haven't given my two weeks notice... and uh..."

I would have applied at several places and when I got called for an interview give my two weeks. That way you're not like... "oh well, i'm still working for this other person and I haven't given my two weeks notice... and uh..."

I wouldn't hand in my notice simply because I'd been invited to an interview - there's always a chance it won't be successful, and might leave you in an awkward situation with your current/soon to be ex-employer.

As for interviewing while still employed, I don't see anything wrong with it, but I'd try to make sure it was at a time that didn't disrupt the job I was doing at the time.

I wouldn't hand in my notice simply because I'd been invited to an interview - there's always a chance it won't be successful, and might leave you in an awkward situation with your current/soon to be ex-employer.

I can't fathom a reason to not interview for a new job while you're still employed. You say it's sleazy, I say it's common sense. If you're looking for something new, why wait until you're out of work and approaching a negative bank balance to start looking, especially in this economic climate? Doesn't make much sense to me. I feel any respectable boss, whether they're your current or prospective employer, will understand that.

As an Employer I will say there is nothing wrong with interviewing while still employed provided you do not lie about “illness” or the “car broke down” in order to get off for the interview. I’m all for my employees bettering themselves, I just do not want to be paying them when they are interviewing for their next job especially if that interview is with the competition. If you cannot tell I’m a little bitter about this topic as I have caught an employee in this type of lie before. Let her off with pay to interview with Southwest Airline, but in reality she was interviewing with another insurance agency. I wouldn’t have had a problem with that except for the lie.

I sure in the hell wouldn't have done it, especially in this enconomy, without knowing that I already had another job lined up. It's a little less stressful that way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by by Totenkopf

I guess if you're going to interview elsewhere after you've given a 2 weeks notice to your current employer, it probably doesn't matter either way. On the other hand, while this approach smacks of little more than employers poaching each other's work forces, you might as well look out for yourself. Afterall, when employers decide that it's time for you to leave the company, they rarely if ever give you notice. I once left a job w/o giving 2 weeks notice and when the girl in HR asked me if I wanted to reconsider giving 2 week notice, I asked her if she could think of a company that ever gave two weeks notice before terminating an employee. It clearly caught her short and she admitted she couldn't. Sometimes you've gotta do what you've gotta do.

Going through this right now. I'm a contractor, so that means I'm constantly on the hunt. Even when employed, I always look for a better position. If accepted, offer your current employer the opportunity to match or you will go to the new company. You have more negotiating power when you have a current position in your new job as well. You can take your time and find the RIGHT position, rather than the "I need a job now" position.

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." Thomas Jefferson

I'm a freelancer, so it is expected of me to always be looking out for my own next opportunity.

As others have pointed out, especially mimartin as an employer, it is perfectly acceptable if not expected in this day that employees are mobile and are looking for their best deal. As long as your performance at your current job isn't compromised, you owe it to yourself to look for and go for the best opportunity you can land.

Yup...I don't see why you wouldn't interview whilst still employed. I had contemplated leaving my current job a one point largely due to logistics and location more than anything else. I informed my manager of this and he understood completely.

There would be no way in this economy that I could afford to leave one job without having another lined up.

"You'll find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."

Not to mention that SOME employers don't give the person two weeks. If you give your notice, especially in financial institutions, they terminate you out right so that you don't sabotage the financial institution. Honestly it's just a good idea to keep looking even if you have a good position. I've used my lunch hour to interview. It's unpaid time anyway, so I'm not costing the company money. I have also used vacation time(as that's taking from myself).

Besides, in this economy, you could be looking for over a month. A friend had been unemployed for over a year. When he finally got hired, all of his credit cards were maxed out and more than half his check goes to paying those down. I'd hold on to a job like it was gold, until I found another. And as I said, you have more to bargain with. I'm currently making $18/hr, so when people come along with a job offer, it has to exceed that. If I were unemployed(as I was before this job) I am more interested in "I gotta pay rent" to think about bargaining too hard.

Besides as someone who's been caught up in a number of lay-offs, it's always a good idea to look out for yourself. The company is only loyal to itself. If they feel your department is redundant, overstaffed, or just too expensive, you are gone. Since companies aren't loyal to the employees, why should the employees remain loyal to the company. ALWAYS look for a better position. Even if it isn't monetarily better, maybe the other company has a better benefits package. Maybe they offer more vacation time. Maybe they have better hours. There are a number of reasons to look at another position even when employed. Most bosses understand this. Just don't let it interfere with your actual job.

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." Thomas Jefferson

Last edited by Tommycat; 02-18-2011 at 02:53 PM.
Reason: additional stuff without adding a new post.

Well, I went in to work today and discovered that I've mysteriously disappeared from next week's schedule.

Apparently, my boss sent my letter to her boss, and she removed me from the schedule but I'm still employed there.
My boss mentioned something about me covering other people's shifts for that week, and I was like "Aw hell no!" I'm not sitting by the phone all week.

So now:

A) I need to get paid for the last 4 days
B) I have way less time to look than I thought.

Do you think I'd be able to say that I attempted to give 2 weeks notice but they cut me after 3 days? Or does the fact that they wanted me to cover other people mean I couldn't do that? (ie, I just quit)

technically, when you put in your two week notice, you have already quit, the two weeks is for the benefit of the company. It is to the discretion of the company to decide how best to utilize you during those final two weeks, if at all. Removing you from the regular schedule is common practice. I would never put in my notice until after I found a new job. Most places understand that, and ask when you will be available if hired. That's when you say, "I have to give my two weeks notice, but will be available directly after that."

As you have found, two weeks doesn't mean two weeks to employers. Every time I put in my two weeks notice, I was out of work the following day.

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." Thomas Jefferson